Two-brush floor polisher



Nov. 22, 1966 F, K, BAYLESS ETAL 3,286,289

TWO-BRUSH FLOOR POLI SHER INVENTORS Zmn 151.54 [mi BY JaymonJ frown' THEIR ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1966 F, K BAYLESS ETAL 3,286,289

TWO-BRUSH FLOOR POLISHER Filed Oct. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 s.) a L5 INVENTORS graag /Ba [e354 BY laymond l. row

THEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,286,289 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 3,286,289 TWO-BRUSH FLOOR POLISHER Frank K. Bayless, Darien, Conn., and Raymond L. Brown, Banksville, N.Y., assignors to Electrolux Corporation, 01d Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 401,165

- 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-49) The subject of our invention is a two-brush floor polisher wherein both of the rotary brushes treat a common portion of the oor without any interference between the tufts of the two brushes, and the main object of the invention is to provide a two-brush polisher which cannot leave an untreated portion of the iioor between the brushes (e.g., unpolished wax streaks) and which does not require extra attention and effort to treat the streaked area.

In carrying out our invention according to one embodiment thereof we arrange two disc-like brushes side by si-de and rotate them in synchronism by a motor through a gear arrangement. Each brush is made up of, a number of concentrically arranged circular rows of bristle tufts. In the outermost circular row of each brush, the tufts therein .are spaced apart and these tufts incline outwardly .and downwardly so as to touch the surface to be treated and they project, as well, into spaces between adjacent tufts in the outermost circular row of the Iother brush. When the brushes are rotated synchronously the outermost tufts on the two brushes will not interfere with each other because they sequentially enter the spaces provided in the outermost row of the opposite brush. Thus, unlike the known pri-or art two-brush polishers, there is no untreated surface space left between the two brushes, while at the same time the bristles of the intermeshing tufts will not wear -against each other.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is .a cut-away elevational view of the twobrush polisher according to one embodiment of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the polisher of FIG. 1 as viewed along the line 2-2 showing the construction and arrangement of the brushes;

FIG. 3 is a partial view taken along section line 3-3 in FIG. 1 showing the right angle gear drive arrange'- ment; y

IFIG. 4 is a cut-.away elevational view of a second embodiment of the two-brush polisher of our invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view of the two-brush polisher of FIG. 4 taken on the line S--5.

The first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. l, 2 and 3. As shown, there is provided a base plate which supports a motor 12 and two right-angledrive gear mechanisms 1-4 and y16. The gear mechanism 14 includes a driven vertical shaft 18 from which a brush 22 is sup-ported for rotative movement. Similarly, the gear mechanism 16 has a driven vertical shaft 20 from which a brush 24 is supported for rotative movement. Due to the arrangement of the gears comprising the gear mechanisms 14 and 16, hereinafter discussed in detail, the brushes 22 and 24 are rotated in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows A and B in FIG. 2. Mounted on the base plate 10 is a cover 56 which encloses the motor 12 as well as the two gear mechanisms 14 and 16. A long handle, not shown, extends upwardly and outwardly from the base Iplate 10 and is intended to be-used by the housewife to move the polisher .across the surface to be treated; for example, across the surface `of a linoleum tile floor which has been treated with wax.

The motor 12 is a double ended motor; that is, its

armature shaft 26 protrudes outwardly from oppositel At one end of the armature shaftends of the motor. 26 there is formed a driving worm 28 and at the oppositeend of the shaft there is formed the driving worm 30. The driving worm 28 is arranged at right angles to and is meshed with a driven gear 32. Similarly, the driving worm 30 is arranged at right angles to and is meshed with a driven gear 34. Thus, the driving worm 28 and the driven gear 32 form the gear mechanism 14 whereas the driving worm 30 and the driven gear 34 form the 4,gear mechanism 16. FIG. 3 illustrates the meshing arrangement of the driving worm 28 with its driven gear 32. The driving worm 30 and the driven gear 34 of the gear mechanism 16 are similarly arranged. However the worm 30 and gear 34 are in mirror image relationship (not shown) to the worm 28 and gear 32 arrangement shown in FIG. 3 with the gear 34 being rotated in an opposite direction with respect to rotation of the gear 32. When the motor 12 is energized and the armature shaft 26 is rotated, its driving worms 28 :and 30 rotate their driven gears 32 and 34, as well as the vertical -shafts 18 and 20 connected therewith. The sh-afts 1-8 and 20, as well as the brushes 22 and 24 connected therewith, are rotated in synchronism in opposite directions; that lis, the brushes l22 .and 24 rotate 'at the same speed and have a constant phase relation therebetween.

The brushes 22 and 24 shown at FIG. 2 are of like construction and arrangement. The brushes 22 and 24 include the disc-like brush backs 36 and 38, respectively, which may be fashioned from a wooden disc or the like. The brush 22 is comprised of a plurality of ooncentrically arranged circular rows and each of these circular rows is comprised of a plurality of bristle tufts, such as the tufts 22a 2211 in the outermost brush segment and other tufts 23 in the other circular rows. Similarly, the

Vbrush 24 is comprised of a plurality of concentrically arranged circular rows. Each ofthese circular rows is comprised of a plurality of bristle tufts, such as the tufts 24a other tufts 2S in the other circular rows. FIG. l illus-` trates the profile or contour of the brushes 'when the, subject polisher is-not resting on the floor or surface to be treated. As shown, the faces of the brushes 22 and 24 have `a generally concave prole. However, when the floor polisher is resting yon the oor the weight of the unit will cause the tufts in the outer circular rows to flare outwardly at a greater angle relative to the longitudinal central axis of the driven vertical shafts 18 and 20 and, as a result, the ends of all of the tufts comprising the brush will be in contact with the floor.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the way in which the tufts in the outermost circular rows of the two brushes a-re arranged. In brush 22, for example, the tufts 22a, 22b, 22C 2211 are regularly spaced apart. Between these adjacent tufts there is provided the spaces 40a, 4Gb, 40C 40n. Similarly, on brush 24 the tufts 24a, 24b, 24e 24n are regularly spaced apart and between these tufts there is provided the spaces 50a, Stb, 50c 5011. -In the view shown in FIG. 2 it is assumed that the rotation of .the two brushes is stopped for an instant for the purpose of illustrating the cooperative :action between the two brushes. Note that the tuft 24a is entering the space 40a, while the tuft 24b is being withdrawn from the space 40h. Also the tuft 22n is about to enter the space Slln and the tuft 22a has entered the space 50a to a maximum distance. In the arrangement shown none 24n in the outermost circular row andiof the larcuately moving tufts of one brush interfere with the ,arcuately moving tufts on the other brush. However, the tufts of the two brushes intermesh and therefore, there is no space on the floor between the brushes which will not be treated by the outermost tufts on both brushes so that the unsightly streaking herein'before encountered with the use of the prior `art two-brush polishers is eliminated.

The second embodiment of 4the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. As shown, there is provided a base member 60 on which is mounted 'a vertically arranged motor 62. Rotat-ably mounted below the base member 60 are two driven gears 64 and 66. The end of the armature shaft 618 of the motor has -a driven pinion 70 aixed thereto, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth on the :gea-r 64. Thus, rotation of the pinion 70 drives the gear 64 in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 5. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the teeth of the gear 66 are rneshed with the teeth of the gear 64 and, as a result, gear 66 is driven in the direction indicated by arrow B. Accordingly, when the motor 62 is energized the gears 64 and 66 rotate in synchronism in opposite directions; that is, they rotate at the same speed and in the same relative phase relationship. The two brushes 22 and 24 are supported at the lower ends of the vertical shafts 72 and 74 which are connected to the gears y64 and 66, respectively. It is to be noted that FIG. 2 of the drawings represents the Ibottom view of the polisher of FIG. 1, Ias well as t-he bottom view of the polisher of FIG. 4 and the construction and arrangement of these brushes and their tufts are as hereinbefore described. Thus with the brush arrangement of the second embodiment of FIG. 4, there is no space on the oor between the brushes that will not be treated by the outermost tufts on both brushes, without interference therebetween, thus preventing the unsightly streaking which was encountered with the use of the prior art two-brush polishers.

While we have shown and described two more or less specific embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for the purposes of illustration only and that the scope of our invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined from the appended claims.

What is claimed is: i

1. In a surface treating apparatus wherein two sideby-side circular brushes adapted for making facial contact with the surface to be treated are rotatable in synchronism about their vertical axis, the improvement wherein each brush includes a ring of bristles arranged at the outermost peripheral edge of said circular brush, said ring comprising a plurality of spaced-apart tufts of bristles, each said tuft extending axially to contact the surface to be treated and outwardly beyond the periphery of its circular brush, said spaced-apart tufts when moving .arcuately entering to a substantial depth individual spaces between the tufts of Ithe other brush without interfering with the :arcuately moving tufts of said other brush thereby leaving no untreated surface space between. the side-by-side brushes.

2. A surface treating machine comprising: two circular brushes arranged in side-by-side relationship and adapted for making facial contact with a surface to be treated; and means for rotating both brushes in synchronism about axes passing through the center of the circular brushes, said axes being substantially perpendicular to the surface to be treated when said brushes are in facial contact with the surface to lbe treated; each said brush being comprised of a first plurality of tufts forming an yannular brush portion and :a second plurality of tufts in which the adjacent tufts yare substantially in abutment, said second plurality of abutting tufts being p located within said annular brush portion, each tuft of said annular brush portion extending axially to contact the surface to be treated and outwardly beyond the periphery of the circular brush, the adjacent .extending tufts of said first plurality having spaces therebetween,

, each arcuately moving extending tuft of said rst plurality of one rotating brush entering and occupying a substantial part of the space between two arouately moving extending tufts of sai-d first plurality of the other brush without substantially interfering with the extending tufts of said other brush.

3. A surface treating machine comprising: two circular brushes arranged in side-by-side relationship and adapted for making facial contact with a surface to be treated; an electric motor; and a set of gears driven by said motor for rotating both brushes in synchronism about axes passing through the center of the circular brushes, said axes being substantially perpendicular to the surface to be treated when said brushes are in facial contact with the surface to be treated; each said brush being comprised of a first plurality of tufts forming an annular brush portion and a second plurality of tufts forming a second brush portion in which the adjacent tufts are substantially in abutment, said second portion being located within said -annular brush portion, each tuft of said annular brush portion extending axially to contact the surface to be treated and outwardly beyond the periphery of the circular brush, the adjacent extending tufts of said annular portion having spaces therebetween, each arcuately moving extending tuft of said annular portion of one rotating brush entering and occupying a substantial part of the space between two arcuately moving extending tufts of said rst plurality of the other brush Without substantially interfering with the extending tufts of said other brush.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1933 Woods 15-50 12/1961 Hulsh 15-49 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,332,090 6/1963 France. 

1. IN A SURFACE TREATING APPARATUS WHEREIN TWO SIDEBY-SIDE CIRCULAR BRUSHES ADPATED FOR MAKING FACIAL CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE TO BE TREATED ARE ROTATABLE IN SYNCHRONISM ABOUT THEIR VERTICAL AXIS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN EACH BRUSH INCLUDES A RING OF BRISTLES ARRANGED AT THE OUTERMOST PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID CIRCULAR BRUSH, SAID RING COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART TUFTS OF BRISTLES, EACH SAID TUFT EXTENDING AXIALLY TO CONTACT THE SURFACE TO BE TREATED AND OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF ITS CIRCULAR BRUSH, SAID SPACED-APART TUFTS WHEN MOVING ARCUATELY ENTERING TO A SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH INDIVIDUAL SPACES BETWEEN THE TUFTS OF THE OTHER BRUSH WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH THE ARCUATELY MOVING TUFTS OF SAID OTHER BRUSH THEREBY LEAVING NO UNTREATED SURFACE SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDE-BY-SIDE BRUSHES. 